REEL ANIME Review - Evangelion 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo

There's not all that much to be said about the latest Evangelion film to hit Australian shores apart from "wow". Reviews are generally written in order to influence the audiences decision making as to whether or not a film is worth their time and money. Realistically, Evangelion already has such a gigantic and rabid fan base that will flock to cinemas regardless of what the reviews say but, hey, it's worth a look. Be forewarned, not much can be said about this film without a certain amount of spoilers, however, they will be kept to a minimum.

If so inclined or if you're wondering what all of this Eva huff and puff is about, check out our reviews of Evangelion 1.11 and Evangelion 2.22, both of which are available on DVD and Blu Ray from Madman now.

The third and penultimate film in the Rebuild of Evangelion saga, Evangelion 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo isn't the Evangelion that we know. While Evangelion 1.0 seemed to be a spit and polish of the first few episodes of 1995's Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series and Evangelion 2.0 began to diverge from the series towards the last act, 3.0 is a completely different beast. Effectively, Evangelion 3.0 is an alternate vision of the original storyline. The entire franchise owes much of its success to a myriad of alternate stories as seen in OVA adaptations, video games and manga. The latter of which has gone as far as to portray Shinji as an high school detective. Unlike stories built around franchises such as Star Trek and Star Wars, there doesn't seem to be any information to suggest whether the Rebuild of Evangelion will be considered to be the new "canon". If it is, shit just got crazy.

There are many complaints that could be made about this film in particular. It is such a massive detour from the previous two films that it's actually quite a shock when certain events unfold. To the point of being jarring. The personalities of certain characters changes drastically from what we know and even character and mecha designs change from what's come before. That said, this is Evangelion we're talking about. Just accept the fact that this is going to be an insane Anno-fueled wave, hold on tight, and ride it.

One element of Evangelion 3.0 that can't be ridiculed is the overwhelmingly rich visual and auditory experience. In terms of visuals, there aren't many films that can rival the production values seen in this film. Studio Khara have really outdone themselves. Hideaki Anno sits firmly at the top of the creative team as creator, writer and director of the film and there can be no doubts about his vision. It appears as though he is purposefully creating a paradox of this series. While it's bountiful Christian allusions still remain, so many other elements are completely changed. Some may see this as a George Lucas type of bastardisation of a much loved franchise while others will embrace the changes. After all, what's the point in creating and recreating the exact same product? Having composed the music for the original series, Death & Rebirth and all of the Rebuild fims, Shiro Sagisu returns and brings his A-Game.

It's entirely anticipated that this film will polarise fans with some loving the fresh, mind-bending take on what was for many people their first exposure to the world of Japanese animation. Others, however, will be outraged by the convoluted plot and busy storyline which is far removed from everything that has already been established. Regardless, Evangelion 3.0 is still a must see for anime fans. It isn't just a film, it's an experience and one that would benefit from big screen viewing.

Evangelion 3.0 You Can (not) Redo is screening during Madman's REEL ANIME festival if you need further convincing, check out the rest of our REEL ANIME 2013 reviews.

- Ryan